Digital Audio At Audio Expo í98
At last Octoberís Audio Expo í98 (formerly the All-Japan Audio Fair) held in Tokyo, both the Super Audio CD (SACD) and DVD-Audio forces put their cases before the Japanese public. Super Audio CD demos were conducted by Accuphase, Aiwa, Denon, Marantz Japan, Onkyo, Sharp and Sony. Kenwood, Nakamichi, Philips and Teac did not demo though they are SACD supporters. DVD-Audio demos were presented by Japanís Victor Co. (JVC), Panasonic and Pioneer while Denon, Kenwood and Toshiba displayed players, all of which adhered to Version 1.0 specifications. Both the Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio formats will be introduced in the spring of 1999 in Japan and later in the fall in North America and Europe. Denon showcased a unique combination DVD-Audio/SACD player which used separate circuitry and disc mechanisms but stated that work was in progress to design a single mechanism that could accommodate both formats. Weíll have to wait for the up-coming Consumer Electronics Show to report on models slated for the U.S. market spring 1999 introduction. We have covered the two technologies in Issue 29 of Widescreen Review pointing out differences. At this time, the industry is split in its support for the two non-compatible competing formats. We have not had the opportunity to conduct critical A/B listening evaluations to determine what format delivers the best sound, though we have heard both formats demonstrated and they have both sounded superb and superior to 16-bit/44.1kHz standard CD fidelity. DTSÆ Penetrates DVD The DTS exhibit showcased 22 DVD-Video players which featured DTS Digital Out. More DVD-Video player models are slated for announcement at the CES. The dramatic endorsement of DTS by mainstream manufacturers attest to the growing support for the technology as an ìaudiophileî choice.